30 Nov
The Marriage of Superstition and Modernity: Thoughts on the Evil Eye
The belief in the Evil Eye (in Hebrew, it is known as the Ayin Hara) has existed since time immemorial in cultures all around the world. Ancients believed that the world was suffused with invisible powers that could be utilized as a supernatural weapon against one’s foes. In magic, the squinting of the eye as well as its gaze, could magically affect the image “captured” by the eye and it is for this reason, the belief in the Evil Eye in all primal societies is linked to witchcraft or demonology. Before there was Madison Avenue, ancients developed a unique appreciation for the power of the image. They believed that if you could control the image, you could enslave your foe, or perhaps even entrance someone you wish to attract! (Strange as it may sound, many of our modern perceptions of the image have not changed that much!)
To understand the meaning of the Evil Eye, a brief word about magic is important. Freud in his “Totem and Taboo” wrote that the attitude that is fundamental to all magic is that the belief that thought is omnipotent. Such beliefs are found in many of the primal religions of humanity. He adds that even the cannibals believe that eating their enemies enables them to absorb their strengths and abilities.[1]
Jung, in contrast, took issue with Freud and believed that thought somehow mysteriously participates in an unseen order in the world. Jung’s concept of synchronicity, or “purposeful coincidence,” is based upon the assumption that there exists a psychical connection between a physical event and the psychic condition that appears in juxtaposition with it. Freud, of course, regarded Jung’s concept of synchronicity as an example of animistic thinking.
Yet, even Freud would admit that the power of belief in magic and superstition can affect the behavior of its believers. Maimonides himself was not overly critical of Jews utilizing amulets whenever someone was dangerously ill. As a physician, Maimonides understood the importance of placebo in helping people recover from illness—but he cautioned: amulets have no efficacy whatsoever.[2]
One would think that human civilization would have abandoned its infantile beliefs in the Evil Eye and amulets centuries ago. Yet, beneath the veneer of civility, there exist certain strata of our psyche that has not evolved much over the millennia. This part of the psyche continues to manifest itself in a variety of seemingly “civilized,” ways.
For example: Have you ever been in a New York or LA traffic jam? Have you ever observed how people behave when it’s the middle of rush hour, or when somebody cuts ahead of you? How do they react? It is usually accompanied with certain finger gestures and verbal incantations designed to wreck havoc upon the life of the other driver. Though we normally don’t think of this type of reaction as being particularly superstitious, it is. Verbal curses and hand movements galore are part of the tradition associated with the Evil Eye. If you have ever engaged in such discourteous behavior, you have participated in primal religion!
Given the nature of medieval life and the constant dangers people experienced from day to day, it was only natural folks would develop preventive and curative measures and gestures (e.g., hand signs), as well as spoken formulas to ward off the Evil Eye. Among Yiddish speaking Jews, for example, we often hear of the famous expression Kennahora ‑‑ an abbreviation for the Hebrew “let there be no Evil Eye.”], fumigations, the use of fire, salt, horn, metal, the wearing of amulets (often hand‑shaped e.g, the Hamsan), tattoo marks, jewels (e.g., commonly seen by ladies who wear the “Chai”], the application of blue color, the symbols of the number five, and so forth.
Despite the rational faith we have inherited from Maimonides and other Jewish rationalists, Jewish customs and laws have long been influenced by its neighboring folk religious traditions. Many of the Talmudic beliefs regarding the ubiquitous presence of demons and magical beings that are contained in the Talmud specifically derive from ancient Babylonian religion! By the way, Kabbalists-medieval and modern-treat these teachings quite seriously.
The Talmud, for an example, suggests that if one wishes to immunize himself against the Evil Eye, he should hold his right thumb in his left hand and take his left thumb and place it in his right hand, and say, “I, so‑and‑so, am a descendant of Joseph, over whom the Evil Eye has no power over.” If he is afraid of his own Evil Eye, he should look at the side of his left nostril.”[3] The custom of spitting three times when mentioning something good about a person was believed to chase away the Evil Eye. The practice actually goes back to ancient Greece, where the Greeks use to spit three times in the fold of their garments to avoid the Evil Eye. In ancient Rome, spitting on one’s children was believed to magically ward off the influence of the Evil Eye. Since the earliest stages of human history, spitting was believed to contain magical powers—capable of creating life itself (see my blog articles on spitting).
The Talmud provides numerous anecdotes about the power of the Evil Eye. In one passage, some rabbis of Late Antiquity claimed that for every 100 people who die, 99 people die because of the Evil Eye. Some sages had the power to reduce to human beings into heaps of bones just with the power of their gaze. This ancient teaching would explain where we get the famous English expression, “If looks could kill . . .” Isn’t amazing how modern society has unconsciously passed down many of these ancient folk beliefs? Ancient historians of Babylonian religion acknowledge a huge debt of gratitude to the rabbis of the Talmud, who—more than anyone else—preserved the superstitious beliefs and rituals of the ancient Babylonians.[4]
Back to the Present
I am certain the roots of superstition and magic were wedded to capitalism long ago. One can only imagine the ancient business of selling talismans (not to be confused with the tallis) and amulets. It was probably a profitable business—perhaps, even a family business!
Yesterday, I came across an amazing advertisement that suggests the ancient craft of selling amulets has not disappeared altogether from history.
Perhaps in honor of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, rabbis in Brooklyn made the following advertisement:
- Evil Eye Removal $50, Credit Cards Accepted
So, if you know anyone who has been down on his or her luck, know that there is a solution—you can do something about it! If you feel that your ex-spouse or business rival has hexed you, you are only just a phone-call away from removing the Evil Eye.
As one friend of mine quipped, “But wait! We’ll give you a 20% Discount over the competition! Hu-rry Hu-rry Hu-rry! This is a limited time offer that will not last long!! Grab the opportunity while you can!”
Superstition and capitalism, gotta love it!
[1] Sigmund Freud and Hugo Heller trans., “Totem and Taboo Some Points of Agreement between the Mental Lives of Savages and Neurotics” (London: George Routledge & Sons, 1919).
[2] Maimonides’s criticism of amulets may be found in his Guide 1:61; MT Tefillin 5:4). In addition, he also opposed the use of religious objects, such as the Torah scroll and phylacteries for the purpose of curing of sickness (MT Avodat Kokhavim 11:12).
[3] BT Berakhot 55b.
[4] See Morris Jastow, “Hebrew and Babylonian Traditions” (New York: Charles Scribners and Sons, 1914).
Posted by admin on 30.11.11 at 2:46 am
Here’s a song from my friend Yochanan; I think you will love it!!
Apologies to Van Morrison (Brown eyed girl):
Hey, where did we go
Days when deranged came?
Down in the yeshiva
Playing a shell game,
Laughing and a-ruining, oy, oy,
Scamming and a-judging
In the mystical brain fog with
Our, our chests a-thumping
And you, my evil eye guru,
You, my evil eye guru.
Whatever happened
On Shabbos it’s so slow
Going down to shul with a
chumra new low.
Standing in the sunlight praying
Hide behind the Western wall,
Schuckling and davening
All along creation’s fall
With you, my evil eye guru,
You, my evil eye guru.
Do you remember when we used to ask a
Shay la la la la la la la la la la dee dah
Just like that
Shay la la la la la la la la la la dee dah
La dee dah.
So hard to find my way
Now that I’m all on my own.
I saw your ad the other day,
My, your business has grown!
Cash or credit cards, L-rd,
Sometimes I’m overcome paying for it
Making amulets is a gas
Behind the Satan’s back
With you, my evil eye guru,
You, my evil eye guru.
Do you remember when we used to ask a
Shay la la la la la la la la la la dee dah
Laying in the green grass
Shay la la la la la la la la la la dee dah, etc. to fadeout.
Posted by: Yochanan Lavie | November 29, 2011 at 10:13 AM
Posted by Yochanan Lavie on 30.11.11 at 2:46 am
Thanks for the shout out.
Posted by admin on 30.11.11 at 2:46 am
Anytime ….
Posted by Nimrod Christ Nimrod, Ph.D on 30.11.11 at 2:46 am
11-29-11
Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel, very good discussion on the âEvil Eye.â Superstition in Judaism is very interesting. I will quote an excerpt:
“To understand the meaning of the Evil Eye, a brief word about magic is important. Freud in his âTotem and Tabooâ wrote that the attitude that is fundamental to all magic is that the belief that thought is omnipotent. Such beliefs are found in many of the primal religions of humanity. He adds that even the cannibals believe that eating their enemies enables them to absorb their strengths and abilities.[1]
“Jung, in contrast, took issue with Freud and believed that thought somehow mysteriously participates in an unseen order in the world. Jungâs concept of synchronicity, or âpurposeful coincidence,â is based upon the assumption that there exists a psychical connection between a physical event and the psychic condition that appears in juxtaposition with it. Freud, of course, regarded Jungâs concept of synchronicity as an example of animistic thinking.
“Yet, even Freud would admit that the power of belief in magic and superstition can affect the behavior of its believers.”
Jung is more correct that Freud, even though they both seem to agree that thought is primary. What we have here is a difference in semantics. Thought is omnipotent. The Bible puts it beautifully in Proverbs 23:7 âFor as he thinketh in his heart, so [is] heâ¦â and 1 Corinthians 2:16 âFor who hath known the Mind of the Lord, that He may instruct him? But we have the Mind of Christ.â
Christ Jesus also told his disciples at the Last Supper that the wine was His Blood and the bread was His body. Drink and eat! (Mark 14: 22-24) But Christians when they take communion are eating the flesh and drinking the blood, not of POWER! but of a bloody dead man stuck on a cursed cross. Thus, billions of Christians are sick and depressed.
Michael, as you know, if someone believes in voodoo, that person will be controlled by voodoo (religion!). Belief, thoughts are awesome, be they conscious or subconscious.
Animistic? Is the planet earth alive? I say yes. Why? Life cannot come from that which is dead. Everything we eat that keeps us alive comes from the earth. Just a thought. I quote another excerpt:
“One would think that human civilization would have abandoned its infantile beliefs in the Evil Eye and amulets centuries ago. Yet, beneath the veneer of civility, there exist certain strata of our psyche that has not evolved much over the millennia. This part of the psyche continues to manifest itself in a variety of seemingly âcivilized,â ways.”
Michael, yYou think Judaism is superstitious? Read this: The greatest manifestation of belief in the Evil Eye is in Christianity. Christians always make the sign of an instrument of torture and death across their bodies. This âdeathâ instrument is called a âcrossâ that their God was murdered on and is still on today in their hearts and minds. All day, every day you can see people crossing themselves (especially Catholics), when they pass a church, make a touchdown, hit a home run, at a funeral, etc. The examples are endless of people (double) crossing themselves to ward of the Evil Eye, or to thank their god.
Posted by Deborah on 30.11.11 at 2:46 am
From the Kabbalah Centre’s website on Evil Eye and the Red String:
What’s so important about a little red string? In a word – Protection.
Have you ever heard of the Evil Eye? In Colonial America it was called the Stink Eye. In Hebrew it’s called ayin ha’ra. In Italian, mal ochio, in Spanish, mal ojo, in Farsi (Iranian), bla band. All of these cultures and hundreds of other have an expression for it. But what is it really?
It’s the power to inflict fatal harm with the look of an eye.
The Red String is used for protection against the Evil Eye. The Evil Eye is a very powerful negative force. It refers to the unfriendly stares and unkind glances we sometimes get from people around us. Envious eyes and looks of ill will affect us, stopping us from realizing our full potential in every area of our life.
According to Kabbalah, the critical need to confront the problem of negative influences cannot be underestimated. People who fail to understand this and activate a protective shield through positive and proactive behavior can become victims.
Kabbalah teaches us that we can remove intrusive negative influences and, more importantly, that we have the potential to eradicate negativity forever. The power of the eye, when understood from a Kabbalistic perspective, becomes as powerful a healing instrument as it can be a devastating channel of destruction.
Rachel and The Red String
An ancient tradition is to wind a Red String seven times around the tomb of Rachel, the great Matriarch. Rachel, wife of Jacob, gave birth after many barren years to two sons, Joseph, and later Benjamin. During the birth or Benjamin, Rachel passes away, and is buried on the road between Jerusalem and Bethlehem in the Land of Israel.
After the Red String is wound around the tomb, it is endowed with mystical powers. The Red String is then cut into pieces and worn on the left hand’s wrist. The left hand is considered by Kabbalah to be the receiving side for the body and soul. By wearing The Red String on our left wrist, we can receive a vital connection to the protective energies surrounding the tomb of Rachel.
It also allows us to take Rachel’s powerful protective energy with us and draw from it anytime.
Kabbalists believe that by seeking the Light of holy persons, such as Rachel, we can use their powerful influence to assist us. According to Kabbalah, Rachel represents the physical world in which we live. Her greatest desire is to protect and defend all of her children from evil. When we tie the Red String to our left wrist, while reciting the powerful Ana Be’Koach prayer, we seal her powerful protective energy within as it intercepts negative influences intended to cause us harm.
The Evil Eye in the Zohar
“A person possessed of an evil eye carries with him the eye of the destroying negative force; hence it is called “destroyer of the world,” and people should be on their guard against them and not come near them so that they should not be injured by them! ”- Zohar I, p.68b
How to Wear the Red String
Have someone you love to tie the Red String to your left wrist. First, have them tie the string closely around your wrist with a simple knot. Repeat by knotting the string six more times for a total of seven knots. Now make a promise to yourself that you will refrain from negative thoughts or talk about others.
This harmful behavior will interfere with your effort to gain personal fulfillment and protection. Then have the person finish by saying the Ben Porat Prayer which prevents others from giving you the evil eye.
(Both prayers are included on the Red String packaging.)
What Makes Kabbalah Centre Red String Unique
Every year students and teachers go to great lengths to power and distribute this tool. Our efforts include:
▪ Dying white wool to red. Red corresponds to the desire to receive for the self alone, and this red color we wear serves as an antidote to the selfish desires that seeks their way into our minds and hearts.
▪ Hiring an armed guard to escort our team to the tomb of Rachel the Matriarch, located in a dangerous part of Israel.
▪ Wrapping the Red String seven times around the tomb.
▪ Reciting various kabbalistic prayers, most notably the mystical prayer Ana b’Koach.
▪ Cutting the string into bracelet size lengths
Posted by admin on 30.11.11 at 2:46 am
Nice to hear from you again! I am always glad to present a contrarian perspective. I will call you up later…i also hope you are doing better with the market!